Conversations with Strangers: Fred
by Kiba Rika
Summary: Fred talks to a kindly demon at Caritas about her new life since returning from Pylea.


Conversations with Strangers: 

URL: http://www.kibathediva.net/kibathediva/fic/strangers/fred.htm

Title: Conversations with Strangers: Fred

Author: Kiba Rika 

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel property of Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar, Greenwalt, and Fox. No infringement intended. 

Rating: G

Summary: Fred talks to a kindly demon at "Caritas" about her new life since returning from Pylea.

Spoilers: This story takes place after the Angel episode "Fredless."  Any episodes from Buffy seasons one through six or Angel seasons one through three before that point may be spoiled herein.

Distribution: Please do not reprint without permission. For information, contact kibawrite@hotmail.com. 

Author's Notes: This is the third part in a series.

Feedback: Constructive critique is welcome. Flames will be ignored. 

*****

"Handsome man."  That's what I called him, when I first met him.  It seemed like a fitting name, because he was handsome, and a man, or at least he looked like a man, even though he was a vampire, but that doesn't really matter because a vampire can be a man, like he is.  Then I found out his real name.  "Angel."  That's an even better name than "Handsome man."  He was my angel, because he saved me from that horrible place where me and the other cows – see, they called us cows there, because that's what we were – you know, or maybe we were more like oxen, because you milk cows and they didn't – well – anyway, he saved me.  I don't mean he's MY Angel – not in the possessive sense, because I don't own him, because having been owned I firmly believe it's wrong to own people – vampires – folks.  It's more of a dative than a genitive – you know, he was an Angel to me.  For me.  Of course, that only means anything if you know Greek or Latin, because English only has two cases, but the important part is that he saved me, and that is why he is more than a vampire or a man or anything else, because he's an Angel.  The Angel.  Angel.

He's not the only one there, though. There are his friends – my friends – our friends.  Charles, who is very sweet and smells a bit like molasses – just like my grandma in Texas used to make, which I loved until she told me that her secret ingredient was paprika and the thought of paprika mixed in with the molasses ruined the taste for me, even though you couldn't really taste it.  But there's paprika in Charles, too.  Spice, if you know what I mean.  He is very sweet but tough and strong.  I know he doesn't love – or maybe like – Angel like I do, or is it admire?  The synonyms are hard to recall sometimes – Charles has problems with Angel.  Because he's a vampire.  But what's that, I mean, he drinks blood.  It's practically a simple dietary specification and nothing more.  Some people are diabetic and need insulin shots, and some people have pernicious anemia and inject themselves with vitamin B12, and some people are vampires.  You can't go around judging people by what they eat.

Wesley is there, too – and he has the most beautiful accent that would melt your heart if – oh no, he's not southern like me, he's from England – though I don't know precisely where, because I never got to learn those dialects like I should have – but he is the gentlest, kindest – and his father is so hard on him.  He doesn't think I know, but one time when I was sitting under the table he was on the phone with his daddy, and I could tell that there isn't a good relationship there, with Wesley and Mr. Wyndham-Price.  Or maybe he's a Sir.  I sometimes imagine that Wesley's a prince, and – well, Angel was supposed to be a prince, the Handsome man but – Wesley, sometimes I pretend he's a prince and that maybe one day I'll – well, in Pylea, Cordelia was the princess.  So I thought – I mean, it's just silliness but. . .  You know.  Princess.

Cordelia?  She's... well she has visions, for one thing.  You know - she can tell when someone is getting hurt and then the boys get all ready to go and we all go out and we save them.  And Angel, he... well, Cordelia... she's hard to describe.  You have to talk to her.  She takes me shopping and it's fun.  I never really went shopping recreationally before, because I spent more time in the library but I have to admit that I'm a bit afraid of the library now because there's a portal there and I don't want to go back to Pylea at all.

So she takes me shopping, and oh - sometimes we get tacos.  Mmmm.  I love tacos.  Well, Cordelia doesn't get a taco, she gets a taco salad.  But I don't - I get the same thing every time, a taco and some of that rice and... I'm hungry.  Are you hungry?  What do you eat, anyway?


End file.
